“The widest range of diversity possible within the mobility of a tricycle…”
–Bill Teron, the “Kanata Concept”
Sad to hear that Bill Teron has passed away. Known as the “Father of Kanata”, he was the developer and architect responsible for building the Beaverbrook community starting in the 1960s.
A must-read is Teron’s lecture delivered to Heritage Ottawa in 2010 titled “Original Concepts for Kanata”. It’s a mini-master class in suburban design. (A PDF of his speaking notes is included below.)
“Nature was to be more dominant than houses,” he wrote. “We used nature to define small clusters of homes… we provided parkways and donated land between neighbourhoods to prevent traffic going through neighbourhoods.”
“We buried hydro lines to save nature in hedge rows. We used nature to buffer urban irritants such as noise and traffic. We managed cars not to destroy nature, as was so prevalent in many subdivisions…”
“Imagine thinking in terms of urban planning that was focused on building the potential in people instead of focusing on bricks and mortar.”
(PDF accessed from the Kanata Beaverbrook Community Association’s web site.)
Thank you Stittsville Central for such an interesting look into the history of Kanata. I used to live in Kanata Lakes and now reside in Stittsville, where I enjoy similar nature oriented design concepts.
Mr. Teron will sadly be missed but it is comforting to know that he will be remembered as the Father of Kanata and that his concepts are still enjoyed, and now treasured, by not only its residents but by the City of Ottawa.